the so-called fiscal cliff, the punishing combination of higher taxes on just about every worker in america and deep spending cuts particularly to our military. top lawmakers are calling in staff members for meetings on this saturday. right now we are told senate leaders are working on a potential deal. still our journalists on the hill are being told there will be no official proposals or votes until tomorrow at the very earliest. the time line qoo -- could not be tighter. we will begin seeing lower tax rates expiring and federal aid for things like unemployment checks. here is a statistic for you. if there is no deal in place for january 1st, those benefits, those unemployment benefits will no longer be authorized. the law project estimates some two million americans will stop receiving benefits after december 29th. that's today. many experts fear going over the cliff could send our weak economy plunging back into a recession. president obama says he remains optimistic, but he says no bargain could be reached in congress, then congress must vote on his back up plan to block taxes for anyb